vacation form

Parents,  if you will be taking your child out of school because your family is going out of town, you must fill out a vacation form ahead of time or your child will be marked unexcused.

Completing the vacation form and turning it into the office ahead of time assures that your child will be marked as an excused absence. 

Next Week

There is a school wide Polar Pajama day next Wednesday, the 15^th.  Wear your PJs to school that day and I will be read The Polar Express. 

Also, we are having a Holiday Program for our Preschool students on Thursday, December 16^th.  A flyer with detailed information has already been sent home.  This is just a reminder that it will not be a regular school day and you will be responsible for the transportation of your child next Thursday.   

Upon entering the building, send your child down the hall to our room and find a place to watch the program. We will be performing a few songs for you!

Boots

I have had many students wearing boots to school with all the snow that has come our way and I am sure we will be getting more.  This is just a friendly reminder to only wear boots only on days when it is absolutely necessary.  When at school, we do not go outside and our sidewalks are always shoveled for the children when they get off the bus.   Please understand that changing in and out of boots and shoes infringes on instructional time; so only wear them when you have to.  Thank you J

Happy Thanksgiving

In your child’s backpack today is a Turkey book that we made last week. We have been practicing reading the words together at school.  Have your child show you his/her Turkey book and ask him/her  to read it to you or you can read it to them. The words should sound familiar!  Maybe your child can read it to your family on Thanksgiving (while wearing their pilgrim hats) ;)

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy what time you have off with family and friends! See you next Tuesday! J

Stuff the Turkey

Greenwood students are doing their part to collect items for Green Good Neighbors. So far we have collected 166 toothbrushes and chap sticks. 269 hats, mittens and socks- totaling 435 items in Stuff the Turkey!

Thank you to all who have already given.  If you would like to donate any of the above items (new, not used), we will continue to collect them through next week.

Also, it is that time of the year when children need to bundle up.  Please put your child's name inside of coats, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and boots.  Sometimes things get misplaced and we would like to make sure your child is warm before we send him/her home.  Thank you!

Flag Raising

Both AM and PM classes watched the flag being raised on Veteran's Day.  Mr. Carr, a service member of the Ohio National Guard, shared a little about what Veteran's Day means, then he lead us in saying of The Pledge of Allegiance before raising the flag to the top of the flag pole.

Veteran's Day

Wear RED, WHITE and BLUE to school tomorrow in celebration of Veteran's Day.  Morning students will be going outside after announcements to watch the flag being raised!

Thank you to everyone who came out to conferences.  I enjoyed meeting with each of you and am very thankful that I have so many wonderful and caring parents with great kids! As always, if you ever have any questions about your child's progress please feel free to contact me anytime.

Happy Halloween!

On Wednesday of this week, we carved our class pumpkins.  The children helped clean out the insides with a big spoon.  Only a few kids actually put their hands inside to pull out the "goop" and the seeds (which always surprises me since that was my favorite part when I was younger).  Then we voted on what to carve our jack-o-lanterns.  The morning class decided on a cat face and the afternoon students wanted a bat.  We couldn't decide what to do with the little one so we left it alone.

Our Harvest Party was a success!  Thank you to all who helped out in the classroom and donated treats.  A class book will be coming home soon with pictures of the children in their costumes!

Have a great weekend and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Reminders

Reading money and nightly reading sheets are due tomorrow. If you turn your reading record sheet in, your child will be entered into a drawing to pick out the PJs and books we give away to children in need.

Tomorrow is also Bulldog Pride Day in the City of Green.  There will be a pep rally and bonfire at Green Memorial Stadium on Thursday evening at 7:30. S'mores will be served and there may be a special guest in attendance (If I find out who, I will let you know)!

Don't forget your costume for our Harvest Party at school tomorrow!

Candy Corn

Today we read a poem about pumpkins and the children practiced identifying beginning sounds in words. After identifying the beginning sound, we tried to say the word without the initial sound.  For example the first sound in Pumpkins is /p/. Take /p/ away and the word is “umpkin.”   This might be a fun game to play with words at home or in the car and it a skill children need to practice for Kindergarten.

We also used candy corn to help us count.  We had so much fun playing with words, that some of us ran out of time to complete the whole worksheet.  Your child can finish the worksheet at home and then eat the candy corn. It is just for practice so I do not need the worksheet back. J

Pumpkin Soup

This week we read the story Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper.  It’s a cute story about a Cat, Squirrel and Duck who live in a cabin in the woods and make pumpkin soup.  Each animal has a job when making the soup and everything is peaceful in the cabin until Duck decides he would like to stir (which is squirrel's job).  At centers today,  I had the children draw three things that happened in the story and I wrote down what they said.  Have your child tell you about the book at home!

If you would like to come in for the Harvest Party next Thursday, please let me know!  Thank you and have a great weekend!

Spirt Day

Thursday, October 21st is Bulldog Spirt Day. Wear your ORANGE and BLACK to school!

Don't forget about the Chili Supper on Friday at Green Middle School (4-7pm).  Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Harvest Party

Our preschool Harvest Party is on Thursday, October 28^th. Children are encouraged to dress up in costume that day as we participate in fun activities during centers.  I am looking for parents who are willing to volunteer in the AM from 9:20-11:40 and PM from 1:25-3:40.  I also like to have a special snack and drink for our party (AM-10 students; PM-7 students).  The AM snack is covered, but if you would be able to provide a drink or snack, come in to help, or both, just let me know.  You can write a note in your child’s notebook or just comment on this page.  I will keep the comments updated for you to view so you know what we have and what we need.

Thanks! Have a great long weekend. Go Bucks!

Absentee Ballots

We want to make it easy for you to vote and support Green Local Schools. An Application for Absent Voter's Ballot was sent home this week. They are due tomorrow (Thursday, October 14th). After completing the form and returning it to me, an absentee ballot from the Board of Elections will arrive in your mailbox before November 2nd.

Please support our schools!

If you need a new form or additional forms, please e-mail me (desmithkatie@greenlocalschools.org) and I can send you one today. Forms are due tomorrow.

Mail

There is a lot of mail coming home today.  Please check your child’s backpack for a big yellow folder.  Inside is an assessment called the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.  Please fill out the questionnaire as soon as possible. This is information that the state requires us to collect but it is also good information on skills your child should be developing at his/her age.  Please call if you have any questions.

Sign up sheets for conferences are mixed in there too, so be sure to look for that (unless I have already met with you this year).

Also in backpacks are the Scarecrows they made in art today! J

Music, Art and Movement

Miss Perritt and Mrs. Simmons are our specials teachers.  Mrs. Simmons teaches Art and Music class on Monday and Tuesday and Miss Perritt teaches Gym on Wednesday and Thursdays.  They make a great team and always prepare fun and developmentally appropriate activities for our preschool students.  Here is a link to view their Music, Art and Movement October Newsletter: http://www.greenlocalschools.org/157220311111424477/FileLib/browse.asp?A=374&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=59658

Calling All Colors

In your child’s mail today is a book that we worked on last week titled “Calling All Colors.”  We read each page together and then drew pictures of things that go with each color.  Please read the story with your child and ask them what they drew. You can also point out the rhyming words on each page and encourage your child to come up with more rhyming words.

Another color book will be coming home at the end of this week called “Mary Wore Her Red Dress” that your child can read to the tune of “wheels on the bus.” Enjoy!

The Mailman

Every Thursday we do an activity called Letter Mailbox.  I tell the children that the mailman comes and delivers new letters for us learn.  He puts the letter in our mailbox with items that begin with the same letter sound.  Today, the mailman brought us the letter T.  I gave the children clues about what things the mailman brought us that start with the letter T or /t/ sound.  The children had a lot of fun guessing the items (tomato, tiger, teeth, towel, turtle and turkey).  They also learned sign language for letter T and turtle.  So far we have learned S is for socks, M is for mouse, D is for duck and P is for pig!

Be sure to check out the news for next week.  We will continue to work on colors and shapes.   See if your child can identify different shapes and colors at home and outside!

On another note, I have not yet received the snack menu for October so the snacks are listed as ? on this week’s newsletter. 

Kids can help too!

In your mail tomorrow, you will recieve a "Kids Can Help Too!" piggy bank (sorry they are coming home late, but we just got them in).  You can use this piggy bank to collect money for PJ's and Books.  Some parents find it helpful to put the piggy bank beside their child's bed so they can easily put a coin in the bank after reading a book at night.

September reading logs and money are due on Thursday.  I will send a new October reading log home on Monday.  Just send the money in a baggie and keep the piggy bank at home! Thank you for your support for this worth cause.

Class Books

In my weekly newsletter this week, you may have noticed that we are making a classroom book on Wednesday to go along with the book Mary Wore Her Red Dress by Merle Peek.  Some other classroom books that we have made this year are Guess Who? and Look, Look, Who Do You See?. Having the student's help make the book not only gives them great ownership and motivation for reading, but it also exposes them to numerous early literacy and print concepts.

I will be sending these books home in a "book bag" with your child to read and share with you at home. I just ask that you return the books after reading so we can share them with the rest of our families. We will be making many more classroom books and I look forward to sharing them with you and I'm sure your children do too!

Bruno the Bucket

Yesterday we had our "Bucketfiller" assembly with Bruno the Bucket.  He is our school mascot when it comes to being kind and showing respect to others.  At the assembly, Mrs. Wolfe informed us that if we demonstrate respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring and citizenship then we are being bucketfillers!  When a child at Greenwood is "caught" being a bucketfiller, his/her name will be sent down to the office with a short description of what that child did to be a bucketfiller.  He/She will be honored during morning announcements and will get his/her picture taken with Bruno to be put on our Bucketfiller bulletin board.

If your child is caught being a bucketfiller at home, please send me a short note of what your child did so that they can get a picture with Bruno too!

Pictures

I've posted the Man Man pictures on our classroom website.  Please follow the link to view: MatMan  If you would like your child to be added, just send me a picture and I will be happy to add them to the photo gallery. Thank you for your help with his project!

Have a great weekend! Go Bucks!

A Color of His Own

Today we read A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni.  Looking at the cover of the book, the children had a hard time guessing that it was a chameleon.  Most thought that is was a lizard and some guessed that it was an iguana or a gecko.  But they learned that a chameleon changes its color to match its surroundings (or what it is standing on).

We had fun thinking of what the chameleon would look like if he was on our shirt. One girl had on a zebra striped shirt and we all got a good laugh thinking about a zebra-striped chameleon.

Tomorrow the children will have the opportunity to paint a paper shaped chameleon a color of their own at art center.

Respect Assembly

Today we went to the gym for our first assembly. The children did a great job showing respect by sitting on their spots and listening to the speaker.

Our speaker today was a ventriloquist! He was really funny. He brought a chicken, ape and a crying baby to help teach us about respect for ourselves, others and other people's property. He also taught us how to show respect to others by helping out. Have your child help you out today so they can practice what they learned from our assembly at home!

Mat Man Picture

Mat Man

On Wednesday we learned how to make Mat Man using wood pieces from Handwriting without Tears. Today, the children drew their very own Mat Man while singing the mat man song.

On Monday, I will be sending home paper wood pieces and a copy of the song for you and your child to make together. Send me a picture of your child with Mat Man and I will post it on our blog!

Free to Read

This year our Free to Read program is "PJs and Books." On Monday, I will be sending home a nightly reading record sheet.  Every Greenwood parent is asked to read to their child each night.  After reading a book or two, we ask that you place a penny (or any coin) in ziploc baggie. At the end of the month, please return your nightly reading record sheet with your coins. Greenwood will use all the money that is collected to buy pajamas and books to give to children at the Akron Women's Shelter.

When your child returns his/her reading record sheet, he/she will be entered into a drawing for a special prize from Mrs. Wolfe.

Thank you for your participation!

Week 1

We have been having a lot of fun this week at Preschool.  The children have been busy learning the classroom rules and routine. They have also earned tokens for following the rules.

Today we read a story called Have You Filled a Bucket Today? It is a story that teaches the children to "fill" others' "buckets" by being kind and helping others. They learned that when you fill a bucket you make someone else feel good and you make yourself feel good too!

The children also had a great time in music class with Miss Perritt and Mrs. Simmons. They loved the bean bag animal dance and the woodpecker song!

Newsletter

Hi! Thank you to everyone who came out to Open House last night. I know that it was kind of busy in our classroom and I feel like I did not really get the chance to "get to know" each of you as much as I would have liked. But, as always, feel free to contact me at any time with and questions or concerns.

My weekly newsletter for next week is posted on my website. You can follow the link that is on the right hand side of this page to locate it. I will being emailing reminders (with a link to our blog) by next week.

Next week we will jump right in to a handwriting curriculum called Handwriting Without Tears or just HWT. This curriculum uses a lot of hands on materials such as wood pieces, play-doh, chalk and chalk boards to teach handwriting and other school readiness skills. Our preschool students experience a lot of success with this program and we will be using it all year.

Have a great weekend!

Schedule

Good Morning!

I just received word about our Preschool Specials schedule. The good news is your child will have a special every day! On Monday we will have Art, Tuesday we will have Music Class and on Wednesday and Thursday we will have Gym class.

I have never had a special everyday so I am not exactly sure how our specials schedule will work around our busy day but here is a tentative daily schedule that I have worked up.

On Mondays we will most likely have open centers (free choice) rather than center schedules.

AM                                                           PM                  

8:40-9:00       Work-bins               1:00(write name)

9:00-9:30 Group                    1:00-1:30

9:30-10:05 Centers (1 and 2)    1:30-2:10 

10:10-10:40   Special                  2:15- 2:45

10:40-10:55 Center (3) 2:45-3:00

10:55- 11:15 Snack/Library         3:00-3:20 

11:15-11:30 Handwriting 3:20-3:35

11:30-11:45 Story 3:35-3:55 (with ongoing dismissal at 3:40)

11:45-11:50 Dismissal               3:40-4:10

Communication Notebook and Folder

School started for me this evening but this time I was back in the role of student. I am taking University of Akron classes at Green High School for my Masters Degree in Mild/Moderate Intervention. The night was filled with going over two different course syllabi and discussions about the best way to contact each professor. With school just around the corner for your student, I thought now might be a good time to go over the communication procedure for our class.

One the first day of school, your child will come home with a communication notebook and folder. If you have a quick note, just write it in the notebook and I will respond back the same day. Similarly, if you are picking your child up from school, make sure to put a note in the notebook so that I will know not to put your child on the bus. Also, if you have any loose leaf notes or paperwork that needs to be returned to school, place it inside the folder. Anything that you want me to see needs to be in the folder or the notebook. If it is not in the notebook or folder I can not promise you that I will see it.  

I will use the notebook to respond to your notes and also to write notes of my own about your child’s behavior (mostly good, I’m sure ;) ), so it is important to check it each night. If you are here reading this, you know I will be using the blog frequently to inform you about the happenings of our class. But, if you need to talk to me or have concerns that require more than a quick note in the notebook, please email me or call me at school. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours.

Mrs. Rector

Open House is less than a week away! This is a great time for you and your child to get acquainted with our building, our classroom and each other. I’m really excited to see many new faces this year and I hope your children are excited to make new friends!

One person who will not be at Open House but is an integral part of our classroom is my aide, Brenda Rector. I have had the pleasure of working with Brenda since I started teaching 4 years ago. She does a great job with the students and I know your kids will love Mrs. Rector!

Welcome!

Hello! Thank you for visiting my blog. This is my first entry and, as the theme of my blog suggests, it is my goal to complete all entries within 5 minutes.

Since school has not started yet, I thought I would start by telling you about my summer. It has been busy but enjoyable. On June 10th, I picked up my puppy. He is a sweet little (not for long) black labradoodle named Favre. My husband is a big Packers fan and Brett is his boyhood hero so that’s how his name came about. We have had fun playing with him all summer and it has been nice to have him keep me company while I am at home. 

My husband and I went on a few “trips” this summer. First to Bloomington, IN for a cousins wedding and then to Columbus, OH twice for two other weddings. We did, however, get away to Chicago to visit some friends and I made it to my first Cubs game! Over the summer, I also taught ESY (also known as summer school) for 5 weeks which always ends up being more fun than it sounds. 

I hope you all had a wonderful summer. I look forward to getting to know you and your children! See you at Open House (Aug. 26th). 

Favre